Hat and sweatband insert therfor

ABSTRACT

A hat having a sweatband and an elongated readily insertable and discardable insert. The insert includes a perspiration absorbent face portion and a moisture impervious back portion with an upstanding central member. The central member extends above a sweatband to expose the absorbent portion to facilitate perspiration evaporation therefrom and to provide a grasping portion whereby the insert can be readily inserted or removed.

United States Patent 59,971 8/1915 Schneider Norman L. Dootson SanFrancisco, Calif. 870,431

Oct. 20, 1969 May 18, 1971 Winifred M. Colombo Mill Valley, Calif.fractional part interest lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HATAND SWEATBAND INSERT THERFOR 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 2/181 Int. Cl A42b 1/02 FieldolSear-ch 2/181, 182, 183, 184, 195,171; 132/59 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,541 12/1915Martin 2/181 1,351,893 9/1920 Curtis... 2/181X 1,957,356 5/1934 Rosen...132/59 2,027,471 1/1936 Cason... 2/181 2,331,545 10/1943 Gan0.... 2/1812,445,209 7/1948 Clark 2/181(.4]

Primary ExaminerJordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-George l-l.Krizmanich readily insertable and discardable insert. The insertincludes a perspiration absorbent face portion and a moisture imperviousback portion with an upstanding central member. The central memberextends above a sweatband to expose the absorbent portion to facilitateperspiration evaporation therefrom and to provide a grasping portionwhereby the insert can be readily inserted or removed.

ABSTRACT: A hat having a sweatband and an elongated inch above thesweatband and vious that member 6 has a double 1 HAT AND SWEATBANDINSERT THERFOR The invention relates to hats for men, of the felt andcloth types made by Stetson, Dobbs, Knox, etc., and provides a thin flatelongated insert which fits between the sweatband and the crown of thehat.

The main object of the insert is to protect the crown and the hatbandagainst perspiration stains which are often caused in hot weather byperspiration seeping through the sweatband around the frontal and sideareas of the hat in line with a person s forehead and temples.

Most hats in recent years are made with a thin narrow strip of plasticor other waterproof material stitched between the lower part of thesweatband the hat crown where the two join, for the purpose ofpreventing seepage of perspiration to the crown and hatband. However,these hats do not provide for absorption of excess perspiration whichoften penetrates the sweatband and gets through the stitches whichfasten this waterproof strip in position. Also the upper part of thesweatband which has no waterproof backing.

My invention is'adapted to absorb this excess perspiration which getsthrough the sweatband above and below this moisture proof strip, and togradually convey the moisture from the perspiration above the sweatband,where it evaporates.

The insert which I employ is preferably made of a relatively thin stripof blotting paper, with a flexible plastic, celluloid, cellophane, orother moistureproof backing. This perspiration guard insert has atapered bottom edge which aids it to fit snugly into the crotch of thesweatband; and a central raised portion to assist in placing the insertinto position. The moisture absorbent blotter face fits against the backof the sweatband, extending from its bottom to just above its upperedge, and thus completely covering the back surface of the sweatbandover its frontal and temple areas. Owing to the fact that thisabsorptive blotter-faced plastic-backed insert extends above the upperedge of the sweatband over the entire length of the insert, it isobvious that the moisture from the perspiration readily finds its way tothe top of the blotter where it quickly evaporates while the oils andgreases of the perspiration remain in the blotter in the areas wherethey originate until thrown away when the insert is discarded.

The moistureproof backing of this blotter insert prevents any of theperspiration from getting through the blotter and soil or stain thehatband or the sidewalls of the crown.

The insert should be approximately inches long, which is about one-halfthe length of a hat sweatband. Two inserts may be employed, one for thefront and one for the rear, but I find that one insert, (just for thefrontal area) is usually sufficient.

Owing to the fact that these sweatband-inserts are very inexpensive tomake, they can be discarded as they become soiled, and replaced with newinserts at intervals during the life of the hat. The l%-inch wide insertwould of course be used with a li-inch-wide sweatband as shown in thedrawing, allowing the blotter-faced plastic-backed insert to protrudeone-fourth the central convex-positioning and moisture-drying member 6to protrude 1% inches above the sweatband for a distance of 2% inches.These long A-inch protruding areas and the large central IV4-IIICII by 2/i-inch protruding area provide air exposed quick-drying areas tofacilitate the evaporation of the perspiration moisture. It isobfunction, namely as a positioning means and as amoisture-evaporation-facilitating means. As shown in the drawing, FIG.2, member 6 may extend substantially more than 1 /4 inches above theupper airexposed edge of the insert.

Further details and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a hat, with the preferred form of my inventiondotted in.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the preferred form of my invention, with thethickness of the blotter face and the backing strip somewhatexaggerated.

G. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a simplified form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the dotted sweatband insert appears with itsmoistureproof backing 4 facing outward.

Referring to FIG. 2, blotter face 1 is slightly slanted in straightlines along its bottom edges 2, intermediately between and toward itsside edges 3. The degree of slant should be about five-sixteenths of aninch. Owing to the oval-conical shape of the hat crown (7 of FIG. 1), Ifind that a straight edged insert does not seat properly and has atendency to become displaced upwardly centrally. My slanted edges 2overcome this defect and allow the insert to fit snugly along the loweredge of the sweatband in the crotch. However, these inserts can bestraight edged if so desired. Adhesive 5, binds moistureproof backingstrip 4 to blotter face 1. It is of course obvious that backing 4 andface 1 can be cemented, pasted, stapled, or otherwise fastened together.Moistureproof backing strip 4 is preferably equal in size to blotterface 1. The insert should be about 1% inches wide or slightly wider thanthe normal sized sweatband throughout most of its area except for acentral convex member 6, which extends about 1 inch above the sweatband,and serves as a guide and an aid in positioning the insert.

Referring to FIG. 5, moisture absorbent face 1 fits against sweatband 8,and moistureproof backing strip 4 fits against crown 7.

It is obvious that moistureproof backing strip 4 can be made of aflexible plastic, or celluloid, or cellophane, or a sprayed coating ofmoisture proof plastic, etc.

In addition to serving as a moisture guard to prevent perspiration fromseeping through to the crown and hatband, backing strip 4 also servesthe purpose of strengthening the thin blotter face I to aid in placingit and keeping it in position and also preventing it from tearing.Although not necessary, these inserts can be provided with sticker meansfor fastening them to a set position if desired.

Iclaim:

1. A readily insertable and discardable hat sweatband insert having athin flat elongated perspiration-absorbent face portion and a thin flatflexible moistureproof coextensive back portion secured thereto, saidface and back portions including a centrally located upstanding member,said insert being of a length adapted to extend lengthwise behind asweatband the upstanding member being of a height to extend above anupper edge of a sweatband providing a dual purpose positioning andmoisture dispersal drying member.

2. In the construction as set out in claim 1, said absorbent faceportion being made of blotting paper and said moistureproof back portionbeing made of a thin flexible A plastic material.

3. In the construction as set out in claim 1, said insert having bottomedges and side edges, said bottom edge being slanted in straight linesfrom an intermediate position upwardly and outwardly along its bottomedges toward its side edges.

4. In the construction as set out in claim 3, said insert havingportions of its top edge slanted parallel to its slanted bottom edges.

5. The combination of a hat, having a sweatband, and a readilyinsertable and discardable sweatband insert for said hat, said inserthaving a thin flat elongated perspiration absorbent face portion and athin flat flexible moistureproof coextensive back portion securedthereto, said face and back portions including a centrally locatedupstanding member, said insert extending lengthwise behind the sweatbandand the upstanding member extending above an upper edge of saidsweatband providing a dual purpose positioning and moisture dispersaldrying member.

1. A readily insertable and discardable hat sweatband insert having athin flat elongated perspiration-absorbent face portion and a thin flatflexible moistureproof coextensive back portion secured thereto, saidface and back portions including a centrally located upstanding member,said insert being of a length adapted to extend lengthwise behind asweatband the upstanding member being of a height to extend above anupper edge of a sweatband providing a dual purpose positioning andmoisture dispersal drying member.
 2. In the construction as set out inclaim 1, said absorbent fAce portion being made of blotting paper andsaid moistureproof back portion being made of a thin flexible plasticmaterial.
 3. In the construction as set out in claim 1, said inserthaving bottom edges and side edges, said bottom edge being slanted instraight lines from an intermediate position upwardly and outwardlyalong its bottom edges toward its side edges.
 4. In the construction asset out in claim 3, said insert having portions of its top edge slantedparallel to its slanted bottom edges.
 5. The combination of a hat,having a sweatband, and a readily insertable and discardable sweatbandinsert for said hat, said insert having a thin flat elongatedperspiration absorbent face portion and a thin flat flexiblemoistureproof coextensive back portion secured thereto, said face andback portions including a centrally located upstanding member, saidinsert extending lengthwise behind the sweatband and the upstandingmember extending above an upper edge of said sweatband providing a dualpurpose positioning and moisture dispersal drying member.